ArticleCureus2025
Comparison of the Effectiveness and Safety of 5% Cysteamine and 2% Kojic Acid Creams in the Treatment of Melasma in Indian Adult Females.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Targeting Melasma: Innovations in Pigment Deposition and Photoaging in Cosmetic Dermatology.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionHydroquinone, used alone or in combination with a retinoid and corticosteroid, is the preferred first-line treatment for melasma. However, it is associated with side effects such as irritation, erythema, dryness, and exogenous ochronosis. As a result, alternative agents like kojic acid, tranexamic acid, and cysteamine are increasingly being prescribed to minimize these adverse effects.
aimThis study compared the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of 5% cysteamine cream with 2% kojic acid cream in Indian adult females with melasma.
methodsThis prospective, randomized, open-label, comparative clinical study involved 72 adult females with facial melasma, who were randomized 1:1 into two groups and instructed to apply either 5% cysteamine or 2% kojic acid cream once daily at night for 16 weeks. The primary endpoints were improvement in modified Melasma Area Severity Index (mMASI) scores, melanin content, dermatological assessment of cosmetic acceptability, and a subject questionnaire on product characteristics and acceptability.
resultsAt week 16, the cysteamine group showed a numerically greater mean percentage reduction in mMASI scores (12.25% vs. 10%) and melanin content in lesions by the Mexameter (5.13% vs. 4.81%) (Courage + Khazaka Electronic, Cologne, Germany) from baseline compared to the kojic acid group, though the differences were not statistically significant. No abnormal clinical or functional signs were reported during the study.
conclusionFive percent cysteamine cream demonstrated comparable effectiveness to 2% kojic acid cream in melasma patients, with the cysteamine group showing a numerical superiority in mMASI scores and Mexameter readings. Both treatments were well tolerated with no adverse effects. Therefore, 5% cysteamine cream is a valuable addition to the medical management of melasma.
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